Re-analysis of 34 full-length HIV-1 intersubtype recombinant sequences.

One of the main characteristics of the HIV-1 is its extensive genetic heterogeneity. Intersubtype recombination was first described in 1995 and since then a significant proportion of the HIV-1 isolates was found to comprise mosaic sequences. Re-analysis of 34 full-length HIV-1 intersubtype recombinants, including all "pure" HIV-1 subtypes revealed that 19 of the 34 analyzed mosaics consist of a more complex mosaic pattern than initially described. These findings indicate that the complexity of the HIV-1 recombinants is much greater than previously estimated.